Neil Morrissey and Charlie Brooks join cast of Newcastle-made show

The stars are joining the cast of the CBBC show The Dumping Ground, which is filmed in Newcastle

A string of celebrity names will join the cast of a CBBC drama series which is filmed in Newcastle.

Former Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey, who most recently appeared in Waterloo Road and In the Line of Duty, and Eastender Charlie Brooks will both join the cast of The Dumping Ground for one episode each.

The BAFTA award-winning Dumping Ground is currently in production in Newcastle until November 2014 and is inspired by, and set in, Jacqueline Wilson’s fictional children’s home.

John Stillwell/PA Wire

Charlie Brooks

It is the sequel to the multi-award-winning dramas The Story Of Tracy Beaker and Tracy Beaker Returns.

Neil Morrissey will play a character called Keith, who is Johnny’s abusive step-father. Having previously left his family, Keith returns and threatens the domestic stability that Johnny’s mother has created for Johnny, Tee and her new baby Hope.

Charlie Brooks joins the cast for one episode, playing alongside her real life daughter Kiki. Charlie plays Stephanie Branston in episode one of the new series, while her daughter Kiki plays a young girl called Maude.

Stephanie and her footballer husband are keen to foster a child and attend a fostering day at The Dumping Ground. While there they meet Maude, who is the daughter of one of the other couples also attending the fostering day.

Many of the regular characters will also be returning, and they will be joined by identical twins Toni and Billie (played by Nelly and Gwen Currant); Ryan (played by Lewis Hamilton); Finn (played by Ruben Reuter) and Sasha (played by Annabelle Davis).

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